Warming Up
by BrenRenQoI
Summary: Sam is cold and Jack warms her up.


Warming Up

By Bren Ren

Summary: Sam's cold and Jack has to warm her up.

Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing with my Cyber Barbies again.

"I'm so cold," Sam murmured, the last word stretched out on a hard shiver.

"That's what you get for taking a dip in a frozen river," Jack replied. He turned his attention from the fireplace and over to Sam. She'd knocked a couple of blankets off of her with her shivers, so he reached over and pulled them back up to her shoulders. He returned to the fireplace, adding kindling to the small flames. A few minutes later, it was a roaring, crackling fire. Jack went back to Sam's side.

She was lying on a bed in the one-room cabin they'd stumbled on after her spill into the river. It was empty, but well stocked. The fireplace was fairly close to the bed, and she could almost feel the heat radiating from the fire. Sam was tucked in beneath several thick blankets on the bed, wearing only her undergarments, as the rest of her clothes were spread out across the cabin to dry out.

"That should warm you up pretty soon," Jack told her. He reached a hand out to her forehead and almost shivered himself. "You're still too cold. Guess we're gonna have to warm you up the old fashioned way." With that, Jack shed his jacket and boots and climbed beneath the blankets to spoon behind her. He draped one arm across her, wrapping her arm beneath his across her chest. The other arm he nestled beneath his head, right alongside her other arm. "In other circumstances, this might be nice," he mused. She shook beneath him at his words, but it could have been a shiver as easily as a giggle. "All things considered, it could be much worse. Just a bit of hypothermia, nothing a little snuggling won't cure."

"You could have been stuck cuddling Daniel, or Teal'c," she replied. He was glad to see her sense of humor was still intact. "I don't think I've been this cold since we got stuck in Antarctica," Sam commented. "Or perhaps that ice planet we got stuck in… It's that bone-chilling cold that feels like it will never go away."

"At least neither of us is injured this time," he replied. Jack shifted closer still, his arm tightening around her cold body. "You'll warm up, it's just gonna take some time. Just… try to relax, get some rest."

"Too cold to sleep," she replied.

"The just shut your eyes and rest, Carter. That's an order," he returned gently. She nodded her head and didn't say another word for a long while.

Some time later, she woke up, feeling decidedly warmer than she had earlier. At least, her backside was. Her front still felt cool to the touch, except where Jack's warm arm rested just beneath her breasts.

"Sir?" She called out softly.

"Mmmph," was the reply.

"You awake?"

"Am now… what's up?"

"Do you think we could… shift positions?"

"Sure," he replied. He rolled onto his back, and then Sam rolled around until she was lying on her other side. She scooted up close to Jack, draping one leg over him as she rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating strong and steady beneath her.

As she settled in, Jack wrapped both arms around her, pulling her in closer than ever. "Comfy?" he asked.

"Mm hmm," was her soft answer. "Thank you, sir."

He nodded in response, her hair tickling his nose as his head bobbed down. "So… I haven't been able to raise Daniel or Teal'c over the radio. I'm guessing it's those magnet swarms you were talking about."

"Electromagnetic storms, sir," she corrected. "We knew that would be a problem going out. They're not expecting to hear from us until tomorrow, anyway."

"It's already well past dusk, so it looks like we're in here for the night."

"At least by morning I should be warm," she mused. "Just hope my clothes dry out, too."

"As long as we can keep that fire going, they should be fine. Speaking of," Jack paused and turned to look at the fire. "It looks like it's time to add some wood." A soft groan slipped passed Sam's lips, but then she rolled off him and back onto her side, taking the majority of the blankets with her. Jack sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up and stretched out a bit before crossing over to the log supply. He tossed a few large pieces into the fireplace, added a bit of kindling, and let nature take its course. Soon the pile was covered in hot flames, and Jack returned to the bed.

He lifted the corner of the pile and was treated to a tantalizing glimpse of Sam's flesh. He took a split second longer than necessary to climb beneath the blankets. He pulled Sam back into his arms, and she scooted around just enough to drive him slightly insane before she got back into a comfortable position.

"You're so warm," she murmured.

"That's what happens when you don't take a dip in a frozen river," he replied.

"Thank you for pulling me out," she said softly.

"Anytime," he replied, "but try not to make a habit of it, okay?

She smiled, burying her head against his chest, and he swore he could feel it right through his ribcage and into his heart. Talk about getting into your skin, he mentally mused.

"You know, this is actually kind of… nice," she said quietly. "We've hardly talked since we got back from that whole memory stamp mess…"

"I guess it has been a bit… quiet between us." Jack glanced down at her, and found her looking right back up at him.

"Too quiet," she answered softly.

"It was one thing to leave the elephant locked up in that room, but now it's got a whole damn planet to roam, and it's getting mighty hard to ignore."

Sam broke eye contact, looking down at their entwined hands. "I know, sir."

"I've just got one question, Sam." He waited as she turned her head back up towards him. Blue eyes met brown and locked. "Is it just the regs that's holding you back?"

Her eyes widened in surprise at the question. "I don't know," she replied. Her mind started racing then, spinning a thousand and one excuses, but nothing escaped her mouth.

"I've rendered you speechless, I see," Jack commented dryly.

"There are some very good reasons the regs exist," she began.

"That doesn't answer the question." He wasn't going to let her off easy, apparently. Not that there was anything easy about this entire situation.

"The only ways around the regs at all involve… compromises that I'm not willing to take. I do not want to leave SG1 or the air force. And I'm not willing to flout the regs and carry on some sort of secret love affair. So where does that leave us?"

"I could retire," Jack offered.

"No, I couldn't let you give up your job any more than you would let me give up mine," she replied.

"I don't know what else to suggest." Jack let out a deep sigh, pulling her in closer to him again.

"Neither do I," she replied. She nestled her head in the crook of his neck, inhaling slowly and savoring his warm and musky scent. "I wish we could have this all the time…"

He tipped his head to rest his cheek on her forehead. "Me too," he returned.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"For what?"

"For being unwilling to compromise. It's not easy." 

"I know. But you don't have to be sorry. There's nothing to apologize for. It's just a part of who you are, and one of the many things I love about you."

Sam felt her cheeks warming in a blush at his words. She took a slow, deep breath, determined to savor every feeling she could. She was suddenly struck with a strong urge to kiss him, but she held it back, if just barely. She made do with turning her head deeper into the crook of his neck until her lips just brushed his skin. She felt his lips graze her forehead in return, and she smiled.

"We have something really good here," she began. "We work well together, we get along… maybe a little too well… but we have a good solid relationship. I don't want to lose that."

"We won't," he assured her.

"One of these days, we're going to get tired of lugging it around on the frontlines… One of these days, we're going to beat the Goa'uld."

"And when that happens?" Jack asked.

"When that happens… maybe we'll be ready for a change, a way around the regs that doesn't involve compromise or sacrifice." She took a slow deep breath.

"So… someday, maybe?" Jack asked, frowning. "I don't think I like the sound of that 'maybe' part." He took her chin in one hand and guided her face back up toward his. "It should be 'someday definitely'."

She stared into his resolute eyes for a moment before a slow, gentle smile began filling her features. "I don't want either of us making any promises we can't keep."

"This is something worth waiting for," he responded. "And I never make promises I can't keep."

"Me either," she said with a soft smile. "So… we have a definite someday to look forward to."

Jack smiled, his hand moving to stroke her short hair. "In the meantime, we make the most of this situation and enjoy the time we have." He felt her snuggle in impossibly closer in response.

"Savoring every moment as we speak, sir." She wanted so desperately to kiss him then that the only way she could stop herself was to bury her face in his neck once again. Then he touched her cheek and she found herself being guided back up to him. He was looking at her so seriously she shivered, this time not from the cold. She watched as his gaze traveled down her face and stopped at her lips. His thumb brushed across her bottom lip and she shivered again. She kept watching, fascinated by his features as he moved his head lower and lower, until at last his lips made contact with hers.

He moved ever so slowly and gently across her mouth that she almost thought she was imagining it. She responded in kind, savoring the contact, the feel of his lips pressing more firmly against hers. Her tongue darted out to taste his lips, eliciting a groan from the man as he responded likewise. Their tongues brushed together, teasing and stroking as their lips slowly fused together. Jack finally broke the kiss, nearly gasping for air. He looked back down into the hazy eyes of the woman in his arms. She looked altogether too satisfied, he decided. Her eyes met his after a moment, passion still clouding her blue irises.

"A good promise should be sealed with a kiss, don't you think?" Jack quipped.

Sam smiled, her face warm and flushed from her recent activity. "And what a kiss," she mused softly. Jack grinned smugly as he let his head fall back onto the pillow. Sam dropped her head back onto Jack's chest, and a small, smug little grin filled her features as she heard his heart pounding fast and furious and in perfect synch with her own.


End file.
